Ian Murray – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Murray on 2016-03-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans her Department has made to consult stakeholders in advance on the (a) designation of reception zones and (b) determination of the criteria to be included in any order designating such zones in the UK.

James Brokenshire

Home Office appointed COMPASS contractors as providers of housing for asylum seekers with the ability to procure and supply housing in a manner that meets UK housing law. The COMPASS suppliers are required to consult local government formally to ensure relevant housing licensing requirements are met. UKVI officials have engaged with local government, through Strategic Migration Partnerships to devise suitable consultation protocols so that both parties are able to consider the most suitable locations for initial accommodation. In the circumstance that contingency options are deployed, the COMPASS provider is required to inform local dispersal authorities of the intended short term use of properties in their area, as initial accommodation facilities for asylum seekers, including in hotels.